South Korea's foreign ministry summoned Hirotaka Matsuo, deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, on Friday to protest Tokyo's renewed territorial claim to the Dokdo islets in its annual Diplomatic Bluebook. Kim Sang-hoon, director general for Asia-Pacific affairs, lodged the complaint. Japan claimed Dokdo as its territory and accused South Korea of 'illegal occupation' by stationing security forces.
South Korea's foreign ministry summoned Hirotaka Matsuo, deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, on April 10 to protest Tokyo's renewed claim to the Dokdo islets. Japan's foreign ministry published its 2026 Diplomatic Bluebook that day, claiming Dokdo as Japanese territory and accusing South Korea of 'illegal occupation' through security forces stationed there. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi submitted the bluebook to the Cabinet.
Kim Sang-hoon, director general for Asia-Pacific affairs, lodged the formal complaint with Matsuo. In a spokesperson's statement, the ministry "strongly protests Japan's renewal of its unjust territorial claim to Dokdo and urges its immediate withdrawal." It affirmed Dokdo as historically, geographically, and under international law South Korean territory, stating Japan's claim has "no influence on our sovereignty over Dokdo."
The ministry pledged a stern response to Japan's "provocations" on the islets. Dokdo remains a recurring tension point, with Tokyo asserting sovereignty in policy papers, public statements, and school textbooks. South Korea maintains a small police detachment there, ensuring effective control.
